How to remove dental calculus in dogs

The treatment and prevention of dental calculus are inseparable from ultrasonic dental cleaning. Ultrasonic dental cleaning can effectively remove dental calculus on the tooth surface. Due to the scraping during the cleaning process, some fine scratches may be left on the surface of the enamel, which need to be polished after cleaning.
Tooth cleaning and polishing operations require professional veterinarians to perform under anesthesia. A series of pre-operative examinations are required, including routine blood tests, blood biochemistry, and coagulation function tests. In the case of periodontal disease, X-rays will also be taken to examine the condition of the periodontal tissue to determine an appropriate treatment plan.

Anesthesia-free dental cleaning for dogs with dental calculus

Some pets have physical conditions (kidney or liver failure, heart disease, etc.) that are not suitable for anesthesia. They are afraid that pets will be exposed to the risks of anesthesia, so they begin to seek anesthesia-free dental cleaning. Dental cleaning under anesthesia. A non-anesthetized veterinarian needs to clean every tooth and every surface of the tooth, so the time spent on each tooth is relatively long. Subgingival tooth cleaning cannot be completed without anesthesia. Simply removing supragingival calculus will not have much impact on the health of the animal and is just a cosmetic effect.
Animals often cannot tolerate the noise and vibration of ultrasonic scalers, which means that veterinarians cannot use ultrasonic scalers to complete their work quickly and effectively without anesthesia. Only hand-held calculus curettes can be used. It is difficult to maneuver the sharp tool with the force required to remove stubborn calculus, which can inevitably lead to accidental injury to the dog's gums, tongue, and lips, especially if the animal is not quiet.
Therefore, anesthesia-free dental cleaning is not without risks. In addition, anesthesia can facilitate a thorough examination of the mouth, which cannot be performed without anesthesia.

The formation of dental calculus in dogs

Dental calculus in cats and dogs is formed by the continuous deposition of bacteria and minerals after the formation of dental plaque. Some dogs seem to be more susceptible to dental calculus, which may be related to genetics and dietary habits. Once dental calculus forms, it will promote the formation of more dental calculus, and then the gums will become inflamed and bacterially infected due to dental calculus and plaque. At this time, cats and dogs may have bad breath and red gums, and may experience pain when eating and holding things in their mouths.

The consequences of untreated dog dental calculus

Dog dental calculus gradually increases and becomes serious, affecting the attachment of the gums, and then invades the periodontal supporting tissues (periodontal ligament, alveolar bone, etc.), causing Teeth become loose or even fall out. A more serious situation is when periodontal and oral bacteria invade the periodontal tissue. The bacteria can enter the body through the blood circulation, affecting and destroying the animal's internal organs. Therefore, if you find dental calculus, you should take your dog for treatment in time.